Balancing social life and uni

By Eleanor, 19 - 10 Mar 2016

Finding a good balance while studying can be difficult for university students, especially when most of us engage in extracurricular activities, volunteering or need to work. However it’s possible to create a good balance between these areas of your life if you have the right tools and support in place.

Columbia University gives some helpful hints to its students on how to manage their time well and succeed while studying.

One piece of advice is to ensure you prioritise and make sure you do the most important things first (like getting that assignment done before going to the party) to ensure that you are not overwhelmed at the last moment.

Another useful tool is to utilise your professional contacts like your boss. It’s crucial for you to give your studies 100 per cent, so it can be helpful to enquire about flexible hours or even work from home if you’re finding your work sometimes clashes with your classes.

It’s also very important to be able to take care of your well-being by treating yourself to a nice meal, having a coffee with friends or reconnecting with your family via Skype or phone every now and again if they aren’t close by.

Ultimately your well-being can make or break your university experience, so it’s important to look out for yourself and ensure your needs are being fully met. To read up on more tips check out http://sps.columbia.edu/news/5-tips-achieve-your-optimal-workschoollife-balance

If you’re struggling to cope with the varying challenges of university life, it might be a good idea to make an appointment with a university counsellor or advisor. There’s no need to suffer in silence as universities do have a range of services to help you, and it’s important to engage with these resources if you need a little bit of extra help.

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